St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-20
If So, the Preceding Council,
Which Made the Orders,
Must Be Blamed.
An Exposition of the City's
Finance, Showing Where
the Responsibility Is.
Are Public improvements
''Extravaganee?"- --The
People Will Say No.

Comptroller HOlbrOok, showing the
total expenditures for the year ending
Dec. l, 1887, of all the branches of the
city government to have been 81, 467,-
G19.55, an apparent increase over last
year of something like s2,000,000. These
figures and this increase have been
handled by the Evening Journal, and
an effort has been made to saddle the
extravaganza upon the present city adj
ministration, and bring upon it the male
dictiOns of the lOng-suffering taxpayer.
There has been no effort to prove this:
it is mere assertion. and, without the
warrant of fact, the paper goes on to
inveigh against the extravaganza of the
present city council. The Journal has
been guilty in these statements, of one
of two things: Lamentable ignorance
or malicious misrepresentation. The
GLOBE does not believe the Journal
would willfully misrepresent the situa-
ton and expects to see it set itself right
after reading this article and learning
the facts. There may have been
lavish expenditure of money and wo-
fUl extravaganza generally; and the in
dignatiOn of the taxpayer may be just
and righteous, but let the extravaganza
where they rightfully belOng-and that
is not upon the present Democratic
council.
In the first place. there is to come out
of the total of expenditures the sum of
$3.50, "a, which were not eXpend-
lures, but simply transfers from one TO
another fund OH department, but which
appear in the total because the comp
troller'S warrants were drawn for the
purpose of transferring them and they
go into his accounts. The amounts,
taking the Journals figures, are as fol-
lows:
General fund $50. ......-.-.-. 1921, 246 90
Permanent improvement fund. 3S1,OSo 81
Permanent improvement revolv-
ing fund NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 16S,06O 6S
Board of education fund. ....... 10000 90
W vaFn Ip worts fnnd * 600 90 90
Total. ............ .........S 956,772 "a
Deducting this total from the total of
expenditures leaves 1910, S41.21, as
the expenses of the year and
this, if the Journals figures are
correct, is an excess of 81, 007, 104.60 over
last year; and this excess it charges to
the reform administration. Foolish
errorl 1t is well known to all
that all of the expenditures on
dCCOuHl vi llIc
and general funds to be made in any
year are ordered the year before and
the necessary appropriation made. If
an issue of bonds is necessary, the
authority must be obtained from the
legislature and the issue made by the
council. Such was the case in this in
stance. The heavy increase over last
year is largely in permanent improve
ments, which were ordered by last
years council before the reform cOun-
ell came into power. The necessary
bonds were requested by the Re-
publican council of last year and
the authority was given by the Repub-
lican legislature of last winter. The
present council merely disbursed the
money. 1t will be shown that as far as
the administration is concerned, it has
been more economical than its prede-
ceSSOr, and that, too, in spite of the fact
that by Republican Legislation, the legit-
innate expenses have been largely in
creased. In its reach for power the
Republican ring added five new wards
and great stretches of suburban
territory, putting on the salary
list twelve new aldermen Git will
be fifteen next year, five new street
commissioners, five new health inspect
OrS and costly police commission; but
Ill lle lace VI tlllS bllC dululllIS-
tration has retrenched on expenses eX-
cept the one matter of street lighting,
which was impossible. The new terri
tory paid its taxes, but could get no re-
turn in the way of streets, Sidewalks,
paving, curb. cutters or sewers; the
only thing it could get was street light
ing: it demanded and received it, and
in this regard the present council went
beyond last years figures.
The council of last year-the Repub-
lican council-planned and prepared for
many public improvements, for which
no one but the Evening journal will
blame it. Three bridges. miles of paw
ing, curbing, cutters and street work,
vast and necessary water works i'm
prOvements and other general city work
were contemplated by the last council
and carried out by the present, and
therein lies nearly every cent of the eX-
cess this year over last years expense
account. The following table is made
up entirely of excuses this year over
last of, expenses ordered by the last
council:
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT FUND.
Steel arch bridge. Se5, 1876 SO